1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to portable chairs of the picnic or beach variety which may be provided with an accessed, thermally insulated seat compartment for both carrying and insulating perishable foodstuffs, canned or bottled beverages, ice, or the like.
2. Prior Art
Known folding chairs constructed of tubular aluminum with nylon or canvas covering material or the like are well known. These portable chairs have the virtue of being very light to carry and provide an inexpensive means for comfortable reclining. Many conventional chairs require the occupant to sit near the ground and are sometimes provided with short legs. Some of these chairs include a seat portion and a back portion which is positioned directly on the sand or ground.
To spend the day at the beach, conventional practice involves using and carrying a comfortable chair, a portable cooler for beverages and lunches, and a container to hold towels and other small articles. This conventional practice is relatively expensive and cumbersome to carry. Known folding chairs have the disadvantage of not possessing any storage facilities which can hold small articles and thermally insulate perishable foodstuffs or bottled beverages.
A number of alternative means have been proposed to overcome some of the difficulties with conventional chairs. For example, several chairs have been devised with storage capability for beach or camping. Siday U.S. Pat. No. 1,900,847 discloses a chair with a receptacle in the seat. Taipalus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,363 discloses a seat with insulation in a receptacle area. Similarly, McDole, U.S. Pat. No. 2,357,214 discloses a fishing tackle box and receptacle with seat platform.
A variety of tackle box chairs and beach chairs exist and while each serves a specific purpose, the alternative means provided require insulating and carrying means, and are sometimes difficult to access without standing. Many of the alternatives available suffer from tipping or require the occupant to sit very low to the ground, and some are quite cumbersome to carry.